US President Donald Trump has started a process to label certain branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organisations. The move focuses on chapters in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan, which the White House says have links to violence and regional instability.
Under the new executive order, US officials will study these chapters for the next 30–45 days before deciding if they should be officially designated as Foreign Terrorist Organisations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. If listed, their assets could be frozen, and members could face travel and financial restrictions.
The decision comes amid concerns that some Brotherhood branches support groups like Hamas and have encouraged attacks against US allies. Critics warn that labeling political-religious organisations as terrorists could affect civil society and political movements.
The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, is a transnational Islamist organisation. While some of its branches are already banned in countries like Egypt and Jordan, the US move would make it the first time Washington begins officially designating them as terrorist entities.
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